Bob Democh:
CLASS OF 1971
San Gabriel High SchoolClass of 1971
San gabriel, CA
Bob's Story
My original dream after leaving the hallowed halls of SGHS was to graduate from law school and practice international law at the Hague in Amsterdam. I was convinced living and working in Europe would be the pinnacle of my existence. It hasn't happened yet, but I remain hopeful. After spending four years in San Francisco, I earned a BA in Public Administration (how practical!) and fled to Juneau, Alaska for a job with the Governor's Office. Construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline was in full swing then, so Juneau was the swingingest town of 7,000 inhabitants you'd ever hope to see. Although not great looking by most standards, my southern california heritage made me something of a novelty, allowing me to overcome the odds (7 guys per every girl there) and become engaged to Therese, a local gal. Shortly before we planned to marry, she died tragically when a truck ran a red light and broadsided her vehicle. Part of me died right along with her that day and it took me a long time to trust in love again. After three years of enduring Juneau...Expand for more
's cold, wet weather and drinking culture (the bars remained open 23 hours a day), I returned to San Francisco to attend law school. Law school was a real shock, first because I had been out of school for several years and secondly because the competition was brutal (20% of the incoming students don't last past the first year). I survived (just barely) and managed to hang around to get my JD degree but came to the realization that spending 60-70 hours a week pouring over law books and case summaries was not the life I envisoned. I chose to return to Southern California in 1981 in the midst of a bad recession. I bounced around for a year before finding work in the burgeoning defense industry (thank you, Ronald Reagan!) managing contracts. It's what I've done professionally in one form or another ever since. It's been interesting, demanding and has paid the bills all these years. I have been fortunate enough to work within 10 miles of home since the late 1980's. As my wife likes to say, I complain about a lot of things but never my commute.
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